Millions of Californians May Still Be Uninsured in 2019

Millions of Californians may still be living without health insurance five years after the full implementation of the federal health law.

A UC Berkeley and UCLA study projects two to three million Californians will have new health coverage by 2019. But co-author Ken Jacobs of the UC Berkeley Labor Center is looking at the other number.

“As many as 3 to 4 million Californians are predicted to remain uninsured.”

Jacobs says most of the uninsured will be legal residents of the U.S. And about half of those without coverage will be eligible for it. For some, language or finances may get in the way.

“Some people who are eligible for Medi-Cal or subsidized coverage will not enroll because they’re unaware or because they see obstacles to enrollment. And for those people, good education, good outreach, and keeping enrollment as easy as possible will be essential.”

The Labor Center says only about three percent of those without health coverage will face a tax penalty.